Device for stopping railroad trains independently of the driver



Sept. 24, 1929. w. MEUCHE 1,729,397

DEVICE FOR STOPPING RAILROAD TRAINS INDEPENDENTLY or was nnxvzn Filed Sept. 19. 1928 fiz Zfill 2 07'.-

Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER MEUCHE, OF LEIPZIG, GERMANY" Application filed September 19, 1928, Serial No..30 7,012, and in Germany May 29, 1928.

This invention relates to a device for stopping railroad trains independently of the driver in case the latter should fail to observe the stop signal, and the invention consists in the provision of a track abutment which cooperates with a lever on the engine so as to release an automatic device whereby the power control and brake levers are operated.

The automatic device consists of pneumatic pistons the air supply to which is controlled by a spring-tensioned valve which is released by the lever. Means are provided for the convenient restoration of the pistons to their inoperative positions and also for turning the track abutment into and out of operative position together with the semaphore signal.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a front view of the complete device, partly in section,

Fig. 2, a view of the valve control,

Fig. 3, a side view of the release lever, and

Fig. 4, a view of the track mechanism.

For stopping a railroad train independently of the driver, the engine is fitted with three pneumatic pistons 22, 29 and 13 working respe-ctively in cylinders 1, 3 and 2. The rod 23 of the piston 22 has a head 24 whereby it acts on the power control lever 25; the rod 30 of the piston 29 has a head 31 whereby it acts on the brake lever 32; and the rod 12 of the piston 13 is connected to an arm 11 of a double-armed lever 7 which controls a valve 6 fitted in a pipe 4. The latter proceeds from a container and supplies compressed air from the latter to the cylinder 1 for actuating the piston 22 in opposition to a spring The cylinder 1 has an aperture 27 which, after it has been passed by the piston 22, admits the air through a pipe 28 into the cylinder 3 for actuating the piston 29 in opposition to a spring 29. The cylinder 3 has an aperture 33 which in the same manner admits the air through a pipe 34 into the cylinder 2 for actuating the piston 13 in opposition to a spring 14. The latter is normally retained by the piston in compressed condition under the influence of the lever 7, one arm 8 of which carries a segment 10 having an aperture 9 in which engages a stud mounted at the end 16 of a double-armed lever 19 pivoted at 17. While the lever 7 is thus arrested by the stud? 15, the valve 6 is closed. The lever 19 is controlled by a spring 21 which bears against an arm 18 of said lever. From the same lever arm depends a bar adapted to cooperate with an abutment on the track so as to rock the lever 19 and release the seg- U ment 10 if the train should pass the abutment. The pipe 34 is normally closed by a valve 35.

The action is as follows:

When the segment 10 is released owing to the engagementof the bar 20 with the abutment, the piston 13 is actuated by its spring 14 and turns the lever 7 so as to open the air valve 6. The air actuates the piston 22 and turns the lever 25 so as to cut off the steam or other power supply. When this has been effected, the piston 22 has passed the aperture 27, and air will therefore be supplied to the piston29 for operating the brake lever 32 so as to stop the train.

After the train has come to astandstill, the valve 35 can be opened, and the air will then act on the piston 13 so as to close the valve 6 and move the segment 10 into its initial position where it is re-engaged by the stud 15.

The cylinder 2 has an aperture 2 which, in the normal position of the piston 13, is open to the atmosphere and which relieves the diflerent cylinders of pressure and enables the pistons 29 and 22 to be restored by their springs to their initial positions.

If the brakes are pneumatic, the lever 32 controls a valve which sets two pipes 36 and 37 in communication for operating the brakes.

The track mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 4. The abutment consists of a wedge 38 which is mounted on a plate 46. The latter is pivoted at 39 and supported by a spring 40- which tends to hold the abutment in operative position. A cable 52, which is guided over a sheave, is connected to the plate 46 and used for lowering the abutment so as to indicate that the line is clear. A latch 45, which is held in guides 47 and 48 and controlled by a spring 5%, snaps into engagement with the plate 46 so as to retain it in inoperative position. The spring 52 bears against a lug 44 on the latch and is controlled by a cable 41 which is connectedto the plate 46 and guided over sheaves 42 and 43. Another cable 51, which is guided over sheaves 49 and 50, can be used for withdrawing the latch 45 so as to allow the abutment to take up its operative position.

In the case of a single line carrying traffic in both directions, the abutment 38 is formed as a double-wedge.

I claim:

In a device for stopping railroad trains independently of the driver, the combination with the power control and brake levers of the engine, of a valve controlling a supply of compressed air, a lever controlling said valve, three cylinders, spring-controlled pistons in said cylinders connected to said levers one to each, a pipe connecting the valve with the power control cylinder, pipes connecting the different cylinders so that air will pass in succession from said power control cylinder into the brake control cylinder and from the latter into the valve control cylinder and operate each succeeding piston afterthe preceding piston has been fully operated, means for retaining the piston of the valve control cylinder normally in tensioned position with the valve closed, a track abutment, and means cooperating with said track abutment for releasing said last-nientioned piston, the valve controlling cylinder being provided with a vent Which is open to the atmosphere while the piston is in tensioned position.

WALTER MEUCHE. 

